This recipe is for all of my Aussie readers enjoying the warm sunny February weather. My thoughts and prayers are also with all of the Australians dealing with the horrific storms and flooding downunder. If you or anyone you know has been affected by these tragedies, all my love to you. I was feeling rather homesick last week as I was swamped with emails from Aussies singing the praises of my vegan potato salad. The gusto, rip-snorting enthusiasm, and good Aussie humour with which these comments came, was so snout-warming and infectious that it has inspired me to post one of my other favourite vegan salad recipes, that can be enjoyed by discerning pigs in the warm weather. Those of you who have been following me for a while would be aware... Keep Reading
I have often thought I was Japanese in a former life. Yes, I know I have also claimed a past-life connection with many a culture whilst in the midst of a culinary-inspired orgasm. What can I say? The way to my heart is through my stomach. The mouth-watering taste sensations of Thai, Vietnamese, Italian and Spanish cuisines (just to name a few) have bewitched me on more than a few occasions, transporting me into a pleasure-induced coma with delusions almost powerful enough to make me surrender my beloved Australian passport and move across the world just for the food! However, as wonderful as the cuisines of so many nations are, if I had to name one as my all-time favourite or "desert island delight" it would have to be Japanese food. And... Keep Reading
Fellow piggies -- Another letter of apology for my absence and lack of posts. I have been flat-out with my work commitments as an actress, presenter and voice-over artist and have neglected my duties as a food blogger. A big thankyou to Olivia, my assistant, who has been working overtime, picking up the slack, as I have been unable to manifest the 48 hour work day! I jest, but certainly am not complaining about the flood of work. We all know what a pig I like to be! Unfortunately, though, this has left the piggy trough empty this month, as I have been left with even less time to trial new vegetarian recipes and write. I bet the top food bloggers don't come up with such lame excuses! I would like to echo the sentiments expressed in some of... Keep Reading
At the risk of sounding corny – “there is no place like home”! Paul Young says “wherever I lay my hat that’s my home”. But as much as I love that song, I cannot agree. For me “home is where the heart is”, and my heart will always be with my family. I almost found myself on a plane back to Australia at the beginning of the week. I woke from a nightmare in a cold sweat, and in a moment of panicked home-sick nostalgia, AKA “I miss my mummy and daddy”, my fingers found themselves furiously pounding the keys in desperate anticipation of the cheap-skate deal of the century that was going to answer my prayers and whisk me back to Australia for a week with my loved ones. As I sat there wading through a sea of non-compliant discount internet sites... Keep Reading
Today was Mothers Day! To all of you wonderful mothers out there – “Thank you” and Happy Mothers Day. On a personal note, it was my sister Kara’s first mother’s day as a new mum; and so we decided to celebrate in style with a lovely allergy free whole foods banquet. Not that celebrating our own fabulous mum wasn’t reason enough to put in a little effort in the kitchen. But this year we had a double whammy. Well, I am going to call it a triple whammy. As I started my day having breakfast with my dear friend Lyn, who has been like my second mum. I love her like my own blood. So I celebrated with three wonderful mums in my life. So, I decided to come home and honour Lyn at our family lunch, by serving up one of her fabulous raw salad recipes.... Keep Reading
The weather continued to be uncommonly hot this week. So I am currently chomping down on my eighth chopped raw salad for this week. Phew! Now that would be a lot of manual chopping, if it weren’t for the help of my beloved food processor. Gosh, what did we do before those phenomenal machines came along? Seeing as I am singing the praises of my food processor, I should also express my undying love for my Vitamix blender, which gets the vegan dressing so incredibly creamy. Honestly, that Vitamix blender was THE single best culinary investment I have ever made! Seeing as I posted my simple vegan cashew dressing a few days ago, I thought it only fitting that I post my favourite raw coleslaw recipe, that blends beautifully with this vegan... Keep Reading
If I share an affinity with any cartoon character, it would have to be Popeye. No, I am not a crook-eyed sailor with a scary voice and monster muscles. But boy, do I love raw spinach! And like Popeye, enjoy the magical benefits of this green leafy wonder. It is one of the best plant based sources of iron; loaded with antioxidants; and got slapped with the super “nutrient-rich” stick. Being a female non-meat eater, I eat spinach almost every day. We all know that spinach loses some of its nutritional density when overcooked and canned (sorry Popeye), so I try to eat it raw wherever possible. Baby spinach is my favorite variety, cause it is so easy to wash and prepare, and is perfect for raw salads. It also contains less oxalic acid than... Keep Reading
Piggies, if you are after amazing red cabbage recipes this is your lucky day. This raw red cabbage salad is one of my favourite vegan recipes. I would make this salad almost every week. I had never been a fan of cabbage (perhaps I overdosed on it as a Russian or German in a previous life), and had struggled to lovingly include it in my diet until I tasted this raw red cabbage salad. I am now a fan of any red cabbage recipes! I love simple, raw, shredded salads, and this would be amongst my favourites. The first time I ate a version of this raw red cabbage salad, it was made, and served to me, by a very proud 8 year old. That is how quick and easy it is. I was volunteering in my mum’s school kitchen. To read more about my adventures... Keep Reading
Gluten Free Quinoa Tabouli would have to be my favourite raw salad of all time. As my Lebanese friend (who taught me how to make this) always humorously reminds me as we chow down with love, “Yeah, I’ve told you. We Lebs really know our food”. It always makes me laugh. I met my friend Christine when we were both working at a café in Brunswick Street in Melbourne many years ago. Her grandmother is the well known Lebanese Chef, Abla, made famous by her inspired Lebanese restaurant Abla’s in Carlton. My friends and I often make pigs of ourselves, snouting in her trough of Lebanese magic. Christine taught me the Lebanese version of this popular vegan salad, which is a weekly staple in my diet. I then modified it to make it a gluten free... Keep Reading
OK. So if I wasn’t a fan of mayonnaise, then it would only make sense that I would not be a card carrying member of the coleslaw fan club. You would be right! The ubiquitous sloppy, drenched coleslaw that would appear on the table at every BBQ or picnic in the 70’s and 80’s was just about enough to make me sick! My opinion of coleslaw did not improve when I moved to California to go to college, and that dreaded acquaintance showed up at every salad bar, just as overdressed, for a party I was never interested in attending anyway. However, when I became macrobiotic, I discovered the joys of shredded pickled vegetables. That opened the door to cultured vegetables, which prepared my palate for tart tastes. So when I followed a raw food diet... Keep Reading
